


it was neat

by hawrthiacoopri



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, This Is A Really Big Experiment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 19:56:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8503285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hawrthiacoopri/pseuds/hawrthiacoopri
Summary: Nancy raised an eyebrow, clearly over the way the two middle-schoolers danced around each other's obvious attraction. "Okay... so, El put your hand on Mike's shoulder." She did. "And both of you, put your hands up and put them together." Mike did, reluctantly. He still didn't like touching El too much; it made him feel almost dreamy, too close to a bright light to focus. Which made the next instruction very hard for him.





	

He'd looked for weeks and weeks, going out to Mirkwood every afternoon for a month, calling her name and sometimes getting a response, but usually not. 

The times she responded were the worst times, in truth. His heart would puddle with hope, almost filling up to the top, and then he'd be in the middle of the woods with burning lungs and wet eyes, his heart draining back out.

But one day, he'd forgotten to go out. He'd forgot and he'd panicked, running out the door as the sun was setting, and as he was calling out for El, he realized that he didn't really believe he'd ever find her. That this was for himself. That he was being selfish even believing that El was still here. But he'd kept on anyways, riding out into the woods and calling out for her. And amidst the yelling, he'd heard her. Her voice carried in a way that it never had before when he'd heard it, louder and just more... present. 

This time, he didn't run into the woods. He ran out, back into the street, and he called her name louder. 

"Eleven?" 

"Mike!" 

"Where are you?" He tried, knowing that asking has never helped before. 

"Behind you, behind you!" She yelled. Her voice was even louder. 

He whipped around. "I don't see you. El-" his voice caught. "El, can you see me?"

"Yes! Over there!" Her voice was even louder, and it was accompanied by the sound of wood splintering. 

And then he saw her. Army-crawling out of a tree, struggling to keep herself upright, her dress ripped and almost completely tanned with mud.

She looked ridiculous. 

Mike ran over to help her, grabbing her hands and pulling her out of the tree. She was crying by the time she was on the ground, and as much as he'd like to deny it, Mike was too. She was back- she was in front of him, curled up with tears running down her cheeks, but she was back. He lifted her up, pulling her into a hug and letting her sob into his shoulder. 

"You're safe now, you're safe now," he repeated, not really believing it, but hoping for it all the same. He kept saying it all the way home, El clinging to Mike's back and Mike clinging to the feeling of her hands around his waist. 

That had been months ago, and a few things had changed. 

El had a quickly-growing pixie cut, for one. It was curling at the neck, and Mike now wanted to run his hands through it on a daily basis. El was also planning on coming to school soon; Joyce wasn't a great teacher, in her own opinion, and she wanted her adopted daughter to have a good education. And... something else.

So, they didn't go to the Snowball together. 

So what? It wasn't like it was mandatory to go to the Snowball together. And El had already said she wasn't mad about the promise. 

And Mike wasn't, either. He had no reason to be mad. El had saved him. He'd saved all of them. It would be selfish to be angry.

But he was a little sad. And disappointed. Not in El, of course, lord knows El had tried her best and exceeded his expectations, but he was disappointed in himself. He was disappointed that he hadn't been able to find her sooner. 

But at least there was the spring dance. 

"Mike?" Nancy said one day. "Did you ever learn how to dance?" 

Mike pushed his eggs around his plate. "I mean, I'm sure I could figure it out..." 

Nancy rolled her eyes. "So... you can't." 

"Whatever," he grumbled, pushing his chair out and starting to get it out.

"Woah, woah!" Nancy grabbed her brother's wrist, pulling him back to her. "It's cool if you don't. That's not a problem." 

He crossed his arms. 

"I mean," she tried, "it won't be, if you let me teach you." 

He snorted. "Yeah right. Like you know how to da- ouch!" Nancy slapped the side of his head lightly. 

"I do know how to dance, you idiot. I went to middle school, didn't I?" Mike looked away. "Cool. Bring a dance partner after you get home from school. El or something," she said slyly, grabbing her backpack and running out the door. 

Mike dawdled a little, eating one of his eggs before tying his shoes and heading out as well. 

He saw El and Will waiting at the curb for him as usual, and felt his face flush a little, also as usual. Even at a distance, El really was pretty, all long eyelashes and intensity. For such a dainty person, she sure did hold a lot of emotion. He shook it off, kicking off of the sidewalk and pedaling up to his friends. 

"Hey, Mike," Will greeted, smiling at him and starting to ride too.

"Hi, you two." Mike replied, smiling back and looking away after briefly meeting eyes with Eleven. 

They rode quietly for a time, El and Mike stealing glances at each other and Will pretending not to notice. 

"El?" Mike piped up as they entered the school, chaining up their bikes. "Could you maybe... come over after school?" 

She nodded, smiling at him and hitching her backpack higher on her shoulder. She wasn't much for talking, but Mike was okay with that. At least she talked more now; when she'd first gotten back, she hadn't talked at all for such an amount of time that Joyce was convinced she was mute. Luckily, she'd started talking again. 

"Neat. Ready for class?" He internally kicked himself for saying 'neat' like some kind of old lady, but El didn't seem to mind the word. She just nodded again, grabbing his coat sleeve and grinning at him. Walking to class, Mike resolved to use more experimental words around El. 

And to invest in a winter coat that covered his cheeks.

-•-

"You ready to dance, you guys?" Nancy said, slicking her hair into a ponytail and pointing a foot.

"Yeah, I'm good," Mike mumbled, just thankful that Nancy hadn't worn her entire workout getup of the leg warmers and leggings so prevalent in teenage girls. 

"Yep." El said, tucking her hair back in a barrette and putting her hands behind her back. 

"I don't see why you put your hair up but Mike doesn't," Nancy teased, ruffling Mike's black mop. "He has more hair than you, El!" 

"I think it looks neat," El argued, obviously proud she'd learned a word's new use. 

"Thanks," Mike said meekly, almost certain his knees were toast at this point. 

Nancy raised an eyebrow, clearly over the way the two middle-schoolers danced around each other's obvious attraction. "Okay... so, El put your hand on Mike's shoulder." She did. "And both of you, put your hands up and put them together." Mike did, reluctantly. He still didn't like touching El too much; it made him feel almost dreamy, too close to a bright light to focus. Which made the next instruction very hard for him. 

"Mike, put your hand on El's waist." 

"What?" Mike's head snapped up, his cheeks flushed. 

"Put it on her waist!" 

He looked at El. "Can I?"

"Yeah," she whispered, her hair coming out of her barrette, making Mike want to push it back. 

He hesitated before reaching down, setting his fingers lightly on the curve of her back.

"The whole hand, please, Michael," Nancy walked over, pressing his hand flat onto the line of her back. "It makes it easier to move." 

"Okay," he said quietly, trying to ignore how his hand was burning through her shirt, and how she was looking up at him with questioning eyes. 

God, how was this girl even real?

Nancy broke in. "Now, do you both know how to box step?" El shook her head.

"It's really easy," Mike said excitedly; he loved teaching her things. "Just step to the side, and then here, and here and here!" El succeeded, if only by a smidgeon. El never had been very graceful. 

"Good. Now, drag your foot a little and point the toes." Nancy instructed.

Mike did as he was told, trying not to wince when El stepped on his foot. 

"Sorry!" El cringed, squeezing his hand and causing Mike to stiffen up.

"It's fine, you'll get it," he reassured, leading her through the steps a couple of times until she stopped frowning and stopped stepping on his toes as much. 

"Good, good! Can you try to do a turn?" 

"Um." El looked at the tall boy. "Do you think I can?" 

"No, El, do _you_ think you can?" Nancy pressed. They were trying to teach El that she was in charge of herself. Nancy and Joyce especially.

"Yes." 

"Good, we do too!" Nancy beamed. "Okay, so let go of each other... no, not by both hands. Hold hands again. Okay. So, spin El into you, Mike." He complied. "And grab her other hand-" 

"Is this necessary?" Mike interrupted, all the while taking her hand and doing as he was told. "Do we need to learn this?" 

"Do you want to learn to dance?" Nancy retaliated, staring him down. 

"Yes, Nancy," he mumbled. 

"Nice! So, you grab her hand, and then spin her out really quickly. Point your fingers, and then go back into the first position. Nice, nice!" She clapped, patting both of their heads. "That was good. Can you try again, that whole thing?" 

They both nodded, taking a deep breath together and giggling at the synchrony, before falling back into first position, Mike's tremulous hand on El's back and El's lighter grip on Mike's shoulder. 

El looked up again. "Why can't we do it the other way around?" 

Nancy absolutely beamed. "We can if you want! Do whatever is comfortable for you, little lady!" Nancy had taken to calling El 'lady' and 'princess'. 

Mike agreed with both titles. 

El nodded and switched her hand to his back, Mike gratefully moving his own to her shoulder. 

"Okay, start!" They jumped into motion, both trying to stay on track and both failing, getting distracted by each other.

They did well for a time, as well as two awkward middle-schoolers in like could do, until it came to the spin. As soon as El coiled her arm around him, Mike's heart started to speed up. He tried to lean away, not wanting to invade her space, before she spun him away again. 

"Good job!" Nancy clapped as they repeated the action, smiling widely. El preened at the compliment, squeezing Mike's hand again before letting it go. 

Holly called down the stairs, "Ellie! Hopper is here!" 

"She'll be right there!" Mike yelled back, handing El her backpack and walking her up the stairs. 

"El?" Mike fumbled with his hands. 

"Yeah?" 

"Did you... like that? I mean, was it fun?" Mike peered into her face. 

"Yeah!" She smiled at him, and Mike swore the world around her glowed a little. "It was..." she searched for a word. "Neat!" 

"Yeah," he repeated, "neat."


End file.
